It was a truism that all civilizations were basically neurotic until they made contact with everybody else and found their place within the ever-changing meta-civilisation of other beings, because, until then, during the stage when they honestly believed they might be entirely alone in existence, all solo societies were possessed of both an inflated sense of their own importance and a kind of existential terror at the sheer scale and apparent emptiness of the universe.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

After some reading on Texas Method training, I think I'll give it a shot. I have made some progress on the bench press using the Doug Young bench press template and very good progress on the back squat using a simple 5x5/3x5 progression, working up to 485x5 for a few sets and hitting a 515 lbs. single. My stalled and pathetic deadlift went from 455x1 to 495x1 using the Brad Gillingham DL program.

The Texas Method 4-day split seems like a natural extension of these training programs: it alternates volume days (reps) and intensity days (heavy, but still reps), allows me to squat twice a week while not neglecting the deadlift and to (seriously) incorporate the standing overhead press, which I have neglected over the past year. The original version of TM called for squatting 3 days per week and had a "light day", which seems unnecessary to me.

I generally don't see the need to squat more than once per week. However, I have recently scaled my squat weights down significantly in an effort to address some mobility and discomfort issues I'm experiencing and 95% of my training now consists of light paused squats. So two days will be fine, since the weights are light (e.g. paused squats for 275 lbs. x 5, or around 55% of 1RM). Sometimes I'll add a few heavier sets of regular squats, but the bread and butter of my leg training will be paused stuff.

A recent article by 800-lb. squatter Sam Byrd has also got me rethinking my approach to the back squat. This top-level powerlifter spends 10-18 weeks doing preparatory training ("base-building") during which he never goes over 500 for sets and does most of his work with 420 lbs. Reading this made me wonder about the purpose of my death-sets in the 400-480 range, seeing how I squat about 60% of what he does :) So I'll be pushing the paused squats as the main squat variety for multiple sets of 5 and try to get as strong as possible at them; right now 280-300 feels like too much, and I'd like to hit a 405-lb. paused squat this year.

Day 4 - lower body intensity day
Squat heavy - work up to a top triple, no more than 10 reps at 80% or more of max
Deadlift speed - 10 singles on the minute with a light weight, focus on fast pull with good form
Back raises 3 x 10
Hypers or glute-ham raises to finish
Situps on ab board

Week 2

All same except for:

Day 4 - lower body intensity day
Deadlift heavy - to a top double, then 2 sets x 5 light back-off
Squat speed - 6-8 doubles with light weight, focus on bouncing out of the hole, progress to 10x2

The first three sets were done with small plates under my heels, keeping the upper body completely vertical. Something like the incline squat mentioned here. Definitely something to keep doing, but I won't be going over 135 lbs. on this exercise in the future, as it does strain the knees quite a bit.

Leg extension 3 x 12, heavy

Hack squat (1 plate each side) 3 sets. I don't get how some people can use significant weight on this exercise, one plate per side kicks my ass worse than 400-lb. close-stance squats. Whatever.

Friday, March 1, 2013

After much reading of reviews and deliberating, I broke down and bought a SlingShot from Mark Bell's online store. I never saw the point in "geared" bench pressing since I don't compete, but I read a lot of really positive reviews from raw bench pressers who recommend it for overload training.

I've been toying with the idea ever since I've started bench pressing twice a week. When the weights got heavy in my last training cycle, I began to experience some pectoral pain and I'm terrified of a pec tear. So I got one two days ago and today was my first workout with it.

While there is definitely a learning curve with this thing, it felt nice and natural even on the first set. The SlingShot locks your arms in the correct biomechanical groove, forces you to tuck your elbows into your sides and grip the bar close, thus delivering cruel and unusual punishment to your triceps. I'd rate the device 10/10.

While it definitely gives you a considerable boost at the bottom (from the chest), it's not a ridiculous amount of boost, and the upper half of the movement is 100% shoulders and triceps. I can definitely bench press 325 lbs. for a top set of 4 even without the SlingShot, but not after hitting all those sets and reps beforehand. So I'd say the 10% overload estimate is pretty spot on. I've decided to use it after my regular sets are done, as overload for 1-2 heavy sets of 5, maybe once a week. Hopefully this will allow me to keep pressing twice a week while reducing the strain on my pectorals and shoulders. The ultimate goal is still 405x1, no SlingShot.